Oh, So That's Where My Balls Are At

This afternoon, I was transferring a load of E's clothes into the dryer and the dryer balls that normally live in there were missing. I never take them out, so I was convinced I was losing my mind. I looked everywhere - behind the machine, in the cabinet, in the trash, in yesterday's clean clothes, every surface of the bathroom.

But, I never looked in the bathtub.

I never would have. It would have just been a fun, what-the-hell, surprise tomorrow morning. However, I got suspicious when I witnessed the child in the middle of her newest make-mommy-crazy trick.

I was in her room, directly across from the bathroom, folding even more clothes. I had the dryer door open, as I was about to empty that load. E was happily playing in the hallway, and then moved into the bathroom. And headed straight for the dryer.

One sock clutched in her chubby hand, she slid herself across the floor and carefully deposited it in the tub. Then slid back to the dryer and grabbed a t-shirt. And carefully deposited that in the tub.

After she got through three or four more articles of clothing, I stopped laughing long enough to go check out the bathtub and see what was in there. In addition to the recent additions, there were two washcloths, four socks, a pair of pants and a diaper cover. And, of course, my dryer balls.

Lesson learned - shut the dryer. Always. And check the tub when something is lost.